Cessna

A dream had just come true. Cessna invited me to spend a couple days with its new Mustang. I would pick the trips that looked interesting, and do the flying on my own. Cessna’s top instructor and Mustang designated pilot examiner, Kirby Ortega, would be in the right seat to offer the occasional suggestion, and […]

The best way that I can think of to describe Cessna’s new light jet Mustang is that it is, in all respects, a Citation. That means it has pleasant and predictable flying qualities, uncomplicated and robust systems, good payload and range, and it delivers on all of the promises Cessna made when it introduced the […]

Last year when a Citation II on approach to Amsterdam flew through tennis-ball sized hail at 10,000 feet and 250 knots, it emerged, as one might guess, far worse for the wear. As you can see here, the encounter caused heavy damage to the airplane’s nose, wiping out the radome. Also visible on the nose […]

I bought a new Cardinal RG in 1976 and, while I liked the airplane, my mission changed. I had been living in Little Rock, Arkansas, working for Flying, and the general aviation business of that day was concentrated in the middle of the country. My average jaunt was about 300 nm. In 1977, I moved […]